Military Reliance on Oil Degrades Our National Security

Elizabeth L. King, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, last week wrote to the Senate Energy and Environment Committee about the importance of Sec. 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This law requires that any alternative fuels purchased by the federal government be better from an environmental perspective than the petroleum-based fuels they’re currently purchasing. King noted:

Further, repeal or exemption [of Section 526] could hamper the Department’s efforts to provide better energy options to our warfighters and further increase America’s reliance on non-renewable fuels. Our dependence on those types of fuels degrades our national security, negatively impacts our economy, and harms the environment.
I also believe that there are significant developments in America’s advanced biofuel industry that hold promise for meeting military needs. Repeal or exemption of Section 526 would send a negative signal to the industry, which could result in adverse impacts to U.S. job creation, competitiveness, and rural development efforts.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee may see additional efforts to repeal or weaken Sec. 526. They should instead look for opportunities to strengthen national security by increasing energy security. They’ve been tweeting about the issue and BIO’s support, at @SenateEnergy.

One Response to Military Reliance on Oil Degrades Our National Security

With the effect fossil fuels are having on our environment, biofuels are obviously the way forward. Only yesterday was the world’s first bio-fuelled transatlantic flight from New Jersey to Paris in a Gulfstream Corporate jet. Surely the military can now start converting some of their aircraft to use biofuels